WHILE the state government has approved revised plans for the proposed $230-million Port Spencer grain export facility, there is still a "long road ahead" before the any major construction can start, according to local mayor Sam Telfer.
This is despite Free Eyre chairman John Crosby being confident construction will start next month.
Last week, the state government approved an amendment to the Public Environmental Report for Peninsula Ports' proposed deep water grain port, which is located adjacent to Lipson Cove on the Eyre Peninsula.
After a week in her new role, Planning and Local Government Minister Vickie Chapman said she was "pleased" this was one of the first major developments she had been able to "tick off" given the "economic benefits it will create for the state".
"Peninsula Ports' modified proposal has been through the rigorous major development assessment process to amend and update the original PER," she said.
"Before construction starts, Peninsula Ports is required to provide final plans for all structures, along with the associated management and financial arrangements necessary to minimise impacts on the coastal and marine environment, and upgrade of the access road to the site from the Lincoln Highway."
It is these final plans and road upgrades that has left Mr Telfer, who is the mayor of the District Council of Tumby Bay, surprised to hear that construction is planned to start next month.
"There is a lot of detailed conditions in that approval that will need to be addressed before any major works start, particularly when it comes to transport logistics," he said.
"They'll need to significantly upgrade the seven-kilometre entrance dirt road (Lipson Cove Road). It would need to be widened, with possible land acquisition needed, and sealed.
"Lipson Cove is a very popular holiday location so any road upgrade will also need to accommodate both heavy vehicles and tourist vehicles.
"The council will continue to meet with proponents of this project to ensure that they're accountable for the impacts that they will have on our road network and the local environment."
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Mr Telfer also had concerns about the significant changes to the freight direction of grain on the EP, if the port were to go ahead.
"At present, all grain trucks flow down the highways throughout the year to Port Lincoln," he said.
"This project proposes moving significant tonnages east-west across the peninsula, during the busy 6-8 week harvest period, that will significantly impact those road networks, which are managed by local councils.
"There's no way DCTB ratepayers should be responsible for these impacts.
A spokesperson for Ms Chapman said Peninsula Ports investigated the regional transport implications of establishing a grain port on the east coast of EP as part of its Traffic Impact Assessment.
"The conditions imposed require the upgrade of the road from the Lincoln Highway to the site to be finalised, which will be progressed ahead of the port being completed," the spokesperson said.
"In addition to this, details of a road maintenance fund framework for council roads, prepared in consultation with Department of Infrastructure and Transport and the Eyre Peninsula LGA, also need to be provided for approval before the port is operational."
Construction of the port is expected to create up to 150 jobs. Once operational, there will be 20 permanent positions available, while staff numbers are expected to peak at 80 during harvest.
Peninsula Ports are planning to receive grain from the 2021 harvest.
But locals have been left feeling disappointed by the state government sign-off.
"It's all about process for the government and it doesn't actually matter what anyone thinks," Ungarra farmer Karen Baines said.
"This is major infrastructure for EP's agriculture industry, yet a lot of the farming community don't support it. But Free Eyre have spent a lot of money on this and they've got to get that money back."
Ms Baines doubted construction would start next month, as many of the requirements of the approval were "quite extensive, timely and will be costly".
"I feel it will be more like 12 months, barely in time for next year's harvest," she said.
Lipson Cove farmers Corey and Rochelle Berryman were also disappointed the government hadn't listened their concerns.
She said they would oppose any acquisition of their land if needed for the road upgrade.
"There also needs to be greater assessment of what impact the causeway will have on the surrounding environment and the beach, as there is a lot of sand movement down there," said Ms Berryman, who was behind the Save Lipson Cove Facebook campaign.
"We hope the (Tumby Bay) council keep on top of these issues in the rest of the approval process as there's not a lot we can do now."
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Free Eyre chairman John Crosby said he was aware of the local concerns, but expected local interest to increase now that they had government approval.
"We have had to deal with a number of people that have been very vocal about their positions, in particular the need for a multi-user port, but that would cost substantially higher, like $700 million," he said.
"We can't make that amount of money just out of grain, but if someone else comes along with a viable opportunity, we will happily work with them to accommodate them at our port."
Mr Crosby said any environmental concerns had already been addressed in the original Centrex proposal.
"We drafted a 1000-page report which took into account things such as dust and noise pollution, interference with marine life and native vegetation and animals, it also considers any concerns of the local Barngarla people, which we have taken into account," he said.
"From Lipson Cove, you won't see anything of our development other than the wharf. The silos, bunker, roadworks, will be out of sight behind a hill so the actual impact on Lipson Cove is minimal."
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